"Ferret out" specialized information and drop it into your email box.

What are Google Alerts?

I remember this great book by David Brin called Earth, where one of the future job descriptions is “Ferret Designer”. The web had gotten so big, that the problem faced by people searching online wasn’t that the information out there wasn’t there, but it could not easily be found. Ferret designers created specialized search routines to help you find what you need, easily.

Fast forward a mere 20 years or so, and here we are.

Google Alerts is a great way – perhaps the best way, currently – to monitor your business life, quickly, and easily. Once you setup and alert, you receive that alert, in your inbox, on your reader – forever.

Benefit of Google Alerts.

What can you use Google Alerts for?

Use Alerts to monitor your competitors, your loves, and yourself.

We all want to find things on the web. But sifting through the information daily is a grind to say the least. Using Google Alerts separates the wheat from the chaff, and drops it onto your doorstep, nicely bundled.

Monitor your competitors.
You can use Google Alerts (or simply, Alerts) to monitor your competitors in business. Just type their name in (with a just a little thinking involved) and you can find out the general buzz of your competition.

Monitor your industry.
We all want to stay ahead in business. And this means industry news. Use Alerts to keep yourself on top of things.

Monitor yourself.
And just as you can use Alerts to keep up with your competitors, you can also use it to keep up on yourself. This is sometimes frightening and fun all at the same time, but do it – how else are you going to grow your branding?

Monitory your local world.
Hey, having fun is important, too. Keep up on the local movers and shakers in your geographic life.

Monitor your hobbies and desires.
Again, it’s not just for business! Whatever your hobby or love, use Alerts to see what’s going on.

Step by Step for Google Alerts.

1. You’ll need a Google Account. There is one caveat with Alerts – you have to have a Google Account. If you already have a Gmail account, this is a seamless transition. If you don’t have an account yet, it will take about 30 seconds to sign up.
2. 

   Use Google Alerts to filter where the information comes from - news articles, blogs, anything.

   Go to Google Alerts.

3. Type in some keywords. Hey, I like fluffy bunnies.
4. Choose how you want to get the alert. You can dial in how often you want to receive the alert, alert length, when it ships to you (as it happens, daily, or weekly).
   1. Email. Most of you will choose email as the delivery system. That’s fine. Just remember, if you have 17 daily alerts, that’s 17 emails in your box, every day.
   2. Google Reader. If you haven’t used Google Reader yet, try it. It’s a whole different world out there in terms of filtering information!
5. Enter in email account you want to use. Most of you will just want to select your Google account as your email.
6. Create the alert!

Pretty simple, huh? There are plenty of tactics you can use to setup Alerts to great effect, but we’ll just leave you with the basis, for now. If you want more information on how I use Alerts, email me and let me know!

Setup a weekly system to revise alerts.

To get the most out of your Alerts, you should ‘check back’ every so often, and modify or expand your Alerts. I suggest weekly. It will take you about 5 minutes, and give you an incredible ability to monitor business. As with every tactical tool, you just don’t see the value of it, unless you try!

Let us know how you are using alerts!

Give a buzz and let us know how you use Alerts in your life! We’d really love to know…